The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-12-17
The Battle of Lookout Mountain.
by CHAs. NJ. soUIREs.


The mountain peaks of green and gray
stand rugged, bold and grandly free
Grim sentincls, to guard the way
Where flows historic Tennessee,
The highest peak Is known full we'll,
For Lookout Mountain Is its name;
Here honored heroes bravcly fell;
Here Hooker won immortal fame.
Between the hills upon the right,
Our "boys in blue' came near the trees,
Above them, on the mountains height,
The foeman's standard meets the breeze.
And where the flag so proudly floats,
1ntrenched and armed are men I'm gray,
Their shotted guns with brazen throat,
And mortars grim around them lay.
The blue-clothed heroes in.the glade
Are resting now, their march Is doue;
Full manya weary mile they've made
Since last arose the setting sun.
The supper DER, some seek their rest,
Some to relieve the weary guards,
w lille round the camp-fires others Jest,
And tell strange tales and play at cards.
But all now join the started song;
Forgot tine cards, untold the story;
What sing these heroes stern and strong,
Of tcnderl0ve of martial glory?
Just as we thought-their voices tell
Ihnt Az their thoughts are northward
moving;
All! Northern maidens know full well
The lover thinks but ofithe loving!
The weary stars that watched the night
-. Are now relieved by dawning day;
heybathe their eyes in morning light,
And spread their wings and fly away.
Now, with the first faint flush of morn,
Come heavy clouds and full of rain,
Ihey wrap the grand old mountains form
And spread their mantles DER the plain.
But hark! reveille wakes the camp.
Batallions form in battle line
Ana forward march, with steady tramp,
AS steady as the pulse of time.
AS up the road with martial tread,
The men display their bayonets bare
me regiments their colors spread,
10 kiss the misty morning air.
Six thousand brave men, strong and true,
March forth TO do or die to-day
Brave Geary leads these "BOys in Blue"
Who holds you stubborn line of gray?
On Raccoon Ridge. TO scan the fight,
And note the fortunes of the day,
is Hooker, with his laurels bright,
SO bright they'll never fade away.
Brave Osterhaus came up Mt night.
His sturdy boys their share to claim:
And bronZed and dusty with the fight
were gallant GODDARD, Craig, and Lane.
But here's the mountain-see! shell
,,,. Comes screaming on its deadly way!
'InlS tne begfnning-whO can tell
The ending of the dreadful Fray
"Maltn Geary cries; "come lose no time!
heThird Brigade will take tho right
'The second here will form its line
ANA the left the first will fight'
The 'bugle's call sounds sharp and clear;
rs answered ny the fife and drum:
Ana dwell-known yell and loyal cheer
NO" upward go ana downward come.
And now they charge in "double-ouick."
While DER them deadly missiles fly
An, men IN gray You miss your trick!
You point your brnwIing guns too high.
At tlength the mountains brow they reach,
anu pour Volley ON the foe;
Blu cannon'S roar and mortarS screech
proclaim that slowly back they go.
Their ranks are broken, banners torn:
Yet with purpose and Il will
mo Soithcrn maid and matron mourn,
Ihey'll form again and scale the hill.
Then charge and counter-charge.
~, But sad the sight and great the cost;
Inc rank ana file In death were laid,
And sndder yet, the day seemed lost.
1.-THE Third Brigade will ouc,lvgop
Said Geary, ''round the mountain side,
ANA IN the rear engage the fOe"
"Ay! ay! we're Off" brave Goddard cried
And now above the clouds they fight,
ANA nght they meath them In the vale
Ills hard to tell If wrong or wright
Or friend or foe will yet prevail.
The mountains form with flame of fire
Is circled round on every hand;
rms, ana the Gang of arms, conspre
10 make the scene look weirdly grand.
Here blend, as deadlior grows the fight.
The wild hurrahs-thc dying PRAYER
For dim old Death and Glory bright
NOW holds high carnival in the air
Now hand to hand they have the fray,
Like waves upon the restless main,
First lines of blue, then lines of gray,
Are down, are up, are down again.
But see! but see! from yonder crag,
Above the clouds of smoky air,
Up socs tho nations starry flag
On wings of joy-On waves of prayer
The guns are still-the battle DER;
The fOeman and the day have fled
Now tenderly the night doth pour
Her waves of silence DER the dead.
On stairs of smoke from plain to peak,
Climbed "Fighting Joe. with fry fame
The unborn ages yet shall speak,
In verse sublime, brave Hooker's name
And Lookout Mountain, too will be
The warriors pride the poets theme,
As long ns doth the Tennessee
Glide down her banks of gray and green.